''Regina Maria'' (F222) is a

Type 22 frigate The Type 22 frigate also known as the ''Broadsword'' class was a class of frigates built for the British Royal Navy. Fourteen were built in total, with production divided into three batches. Initially intended to be anti-submarine warfare fri ...

of the

Romanian Naval Forces The Romanian Navy ( ro, Forțele Navale Române) is the navy branch of the Romanian Armed Forces; it operates in the Black Sea and on the Danube. It traces its history back to 1860. History The Romanian Navy was founded in 1860 as a river flot ...

, formerly a Royal Navy ship named HMS ''London'' (F95). It is named after Queen Marie of Romania, wife of King

Ferdinand I of Romania Ferdinand (Ferdinand Viktor Albert Meinrad; 24 August 1865 – 20 July 1927), nicknamed ''Întregitorul'' ("the Unifier"), was King of Romania from 1914 until his death in 1927. Ferdinand was the second son of Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern and ...

Service

HMS ''London'' was a

of the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...

, originally named ''Bloodhound'' but renamed ''London'' at the request of the

Lord Mayor of London The Lord Mayor of London is the mayor of the City of London and the leader of the City of London Corporation. Within the City, the Lord Mayor is accorded precedence over all individuals except the sovereign and retains various traditional pow ...

. She was flagship of the Royal Navy task force during the 1991

Gulf War The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. She was decommissioned on 14 January 1999 and sold to the

Romanian Navy The Romanian Navy ( ro, Forțele Navale Române) is the navy branch of the Romanian Armed Forces; it operates in the Black Sea and on the Danube. It traces its history back to 1860. History The Romanian Navy was founded in 1860 as a river flo ...

on 14 January 2003, being commissioned as ''Regina Maria'' on 21 April 2005. Before the sale the Sea Wolf and

Exocet The Exocet () is a French-built anti-ship missile whose various versions can be launched from surface vessels, submarines, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Etymology The missile's name was given by M. Guillot, then the technical director ...

missile systems were removed, and the only armament the ship had when delivered was two 30 mm BMARC cannons and two three-tube anti-submarine torpedo launchers. The Romanian Navy had a 76 mm OTO-Melara gun system fitted forward where the Exocets had been mounted, but no missile systems or additional weapons have been fitted. There has since been some controversy over the price for which Romania purchased the ship.

Commanding officers

Gallery

File:HMS London F95 aft.jpg, HMS ''London'' File:HMS London F95 starboard bow.jpg, HMS ''London'' (F95) docked in port during

Operation Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...

. File:ReginaMaria2005.jpg, Romanian frigate ''Regina Maria'' at the Trafalgar 200th Anniversary. File:Українсько-американське навчання “Сі Бриз - 2016” (28075164024).jpg, ''Regina Maria'' during exercise Sea Breeze 2016.

References

Publications

* {{DEFAULTSORT:London (F95) 1984 ships Type 22 frigates of the Royal Navy Gulf War ships of the United Kingdom Type 22 frigates of the Romanian Naval Forces

Service

Commanding officers

Gallery

See also

References

Publications